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Mordo has discovered the FAQ/Errata (link, link) stating crafters of many magic items can set the caster level to whatever they desire.
"He can set the caster level to whatever he wants (assuming he can meet the crafting DC)..."
So, theory-crafters, how can we abuse this?
For what spells would a high caster level be worth the extra expense when making a potion, scroll, or wand?
Here is one suggestion to get us started...
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A wand of animate dead is expensive but could create a dumpload of minions.
Note that the spell explicitly allows controlling any amount of minions created with one casting.
The undead you create remain under your control indefinitely. No matter how many times you use this spell, however, you can control only 4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level. If you exceed this number, all the newly created creatures fall under your control, and any excess undead from previous castings become uncontrolled. You choose which creatures are released.
Pricey, but most monarchs would want one when leading the army to war.
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A better version would be a wand of Undeath Wordspell. This spell is only second level and has no material component.
But the wordspell has slightly different wording. A picky GM might decree that the bolded "additional" in the quotation below does include a large number of minions created with one casting, rather than only referring to subsequent castings.
The caster can control no more than 4 HD per caster level of undead creatures. If additional undead are created, the caster chooses which undead to lose control of to get back under the limit.
FAQ's only answer the question they ask. That FAQ speaks about pearls of power the entire time. It makes no mention of wands.
That is why the FAQ about stacking the same stat only matter for that, and has no bearing on stacking for anything else despite people trying to say it has other implications.
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Mordo has discovered the FAQ/Errata (link, link) stating crafters of many magic items can set the caster level to whatever they desire.
"He can set the caster level to whatever he wants (assuming he can meet the crafting DC)..."So, theory-crafters, how can we abuse this?
For what spells would a high caster level be worth the extra expense when making a potion, scroll, or wand?
For none as you can't use that trick with "potion, scroll, or wand".
You need to have the spell you put into the item memorized to make those items. "The spell" includes the CL of the spell.You want to make a wand with a CL of 20? You need to prepare or be able to cast that spell at a CL of 20.
In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites.
For Brew potions it is spelled right into the feat:
Brew Potion (Item Creation)
You can create magic potions.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd.
Benefit: You can create a potion of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know and that targets one or more creatures or objects. Brewing a potion takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise brewing a potion takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. When you create a potion, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. To brew a potion, you must use up raw materials costing one half this base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
For staffs, wands and scrolls it is in the crafting rules:
Creating Scrolls
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The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any material component or focus the spell requires.Creating Staves
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The creator must have prepared the spells to be stored (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focus the spells require as well as material component costs sufficient to activate the spell 50 times (divide this amount by the number of charges one use of the spell expends).Creating Wands
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The creator must have prepared the spell to be stored (or must know the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focuses the spell requires.
In every instance you put what you have prepared in the magic item, not something different. And the same spell with a different CL is something different.
And in fact this minor detail in the crafting rules excludes all potions, wands, staves and scrolls from the +5 DC to ignore prerequisites caveat. No home rules necessary to avoid *this* crafting exploit.
Pearls of power appear to be command word activated, so they can go for the +5 to ignore caster level. Not wands, staves, scrolls or potions.
as i had posted earlier in he guy who claimed to have some1 make a +5 staff at caster level 10.
the fact you can IGNURE the caster level requirment for crafting a magical item by increasing the dc by +5. does not mean the caster level of the item IS higher.
a +5 weapon made by a level 1 super intelegnt+lucky+buffed+idk caster while is a +5 weapon for other effects the caster level that made it is level 1. so if it also can cast a spell with 1 round/ level duration it will last only 1 round.
you get to ignure an obsticle not gain +19 to your caster level.
same thing as a rogue who uses the skill use magic device to fool a holy avnger to think he is a paladin. doesn't sudenly gain the paladin's lay on hands powers.
as i had posted earlier in he guy who claimed to have some1 make a +5 staff at caster level 10.
the fact you can IGNURE the caster level requirment for crafting a magical item by increasing the dc by +5. does not mean the caster level of the item IS higher.
a +5 weapon made by a level 1 super intelegnt+lucky+buffed+idk caster while is a +5 weapon for other effects the caster level that made it is level 1. so if it also can cast a spell with 1 round/ level duration it will last only 1 round.
you get to ignure an obsticle not gain +19 to your caster level.
same thing as a rogue who uses the skill use magic device to fool a holy avnger to think he is a paladin. doesn't sudenly gain the paladin's lay on hands powers.
A very good point, and one I heartily agree with.